Smart legal move behind Zuckerberg's hurried marriage?

California, May 21: Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has more than one reason to cheer, a day after the social networking sites initial public offering, he achieved a personal milestone by tying the knot and marrying his childhood companion Priscilla Chan. While the world saw it as a mark of the good times for the young entrepreneur, California divorce lawyers have a different take on the whole occasion calling it a smart business move.

Lawyers stated that the timing of the marriage was crucial as the event will help to establish the value of their assets in the event of any future divorce battle. As in vogue these days, Zuckerberg and Chan would have signed a prenuptial agreement agreeing how to split assets, including his Facebook stock, if their marriage breaks down in the future.

There is, however, no reports on the presence of a prenup agreement. According to lawyers, Chan could have staked a claim to a much larger portion of Zuckerberg’s assets, including a chunk of his $20 billion in Facebook shares if they would have continued in their live-in relationship. They presently live in a modest house in Palo Alto, California.

Lawyers also added that, in case of a clash in the presence or lack of a pre nup, Zuckerberg is likely to benefit since the marriage happened a day after Facebook’s public offering.